The Feeling of Fabric
A Month of Texture — Week 1

This month on the Journal, we’re turning our attention to texture.

After spending June exploring colour, texture feels like a natural next place to go. It’s there in the softness of yarn, the structure of stitches, the way fabric drapes, squishes, holds shape and feels in our hands as we make. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be looking more closely at how texture changes a project, not only how it looks, but how it feels to knit, crochet and wear.

When we choose yarn for a new project, colour is often the first thing we notice.  A shade catches our eye. A skein feels just right. We begin imagining it as a shawl, a sweater, a scarf or a favourite everyday layer. But once the knitting or crochet begins, something else becomes just as important: the texture of the fabric.

Texture is the part of a project we feel. It’s the softness of a finished sweater against the skin, the gentle squish of garter stitch, the crispness of a defined rib, the airy halo of a fluffy yarn, or the smooth drape of a shawl as it settles around the shoulders. It changes how a project looks, but it also changes how a project feels to make and wear.

As we begin A Month of Texture, we’re thinking about fabric: how it moves, how it holds shape, how it feels in the hands, and why texture can be just as important as colour when choosing your next project.

What do we mean by texture?

Texture can come from many places.

It might come from the yarn itself: smooth, fluffy, crisp, rustic, silky, bouncy or drapey. It might come from the stitch pattern: garter stitch, ribbing, lace, cables, moss stitch, slipped stitches or simple stockinette. It might come from the way a fabric is worked: tightly, loosely, openly or with layers of softness.

Sometimes texture is bold and obvious. A cabled cardigan, a chunky ribbed beanie, a lace shawl with open, delicate movement.

Other times it is much quieter. A simple stocking stitch sweater in a soft yarn. A garter stitch shawl with beautiful squish. A plain tee in a yarn with enough drape to give it ease and movement.

Texture does not need to be complicated to be beautiful. Often, the simplest textures are the ones we return to most.

The texture we like to make

Some fabrics feel satisfying on the needles or hook.

Garter stitch has that steady rhythm, row after row. Ribbing has structure and movement. Lace asks us to slow down and pay attention. Stockinette can feel restful, especially in a yarn we love. The texture of a project can affect the whole making experience.

A smooth yarn with clear stitch definition can make cables and lace feel crisp and pleasing. A fluffy yarn can soften the edges of a simple shape and make the project feel cosy from the beginning. A yarn with drape can make every row feel light and fluid.

Sometimes we choose a project because of how we want it to look. Sometimes we choose it because of how we want the making to feel.

The texture we like to wear

The fabric we enjoy making is not always the same as the fabric we love to wear.

A heavily textured stitch pattern might be beautiful, but not always what we reach for every day. A very fluffy yarn might feel luxurious, but we may prefer it in a shawl or cardigan rather than a fitted sweater. A crisp yarn might be perfect for structure, while a soft, drapey yarn might be better for something relaxed and fluid. This is where texture becomes part of building a handmade wardrobe. It helps to notice the pieces you already wear often.

Do you reach for soft and lightweight layers? Smooth, simple sweaters? Shawls with drape? Cosy accessories with a little squish? Do you like fabric that sits close to the body, or fabric that has movement and ease? These small observations can tell us a lot about the kinds of projects we will love, not just while we are making them, but once they become part of our everyday lives.

Texture and mood

Texture also changes the mood of a project.

The same colour can feel completely different depending on the yarn and stitch pattern. A soft neutral in a fluffy yarn feels gentle and cosy. The same neutral in a smooth merino might feel clean and classic. A deep colour in garter stitch feels soft and wearable, while the same shade in cables can feel rich and dramatic.

Texture gives colour another layer. It can soften it, sharpen it, deepen it or make it feel more playful. This is one of the lovely things about handmade projects. We are not only choosing a colour. We are choosing a feeling.

Choosing texture with care

As you think about your next project, it can be helpful to ask a few simple questions.

How do I want this project to feel?

Do I want something soft and comforting? Light and airy? Smooth and polished? Textured and interesting? Warm and substantial? Easy to wear?

There is no right answer.

A beautiful handmade wardrobe can include many different textures: smooth everyday sweaters, fluffy layers, simple shawls, crisp stitch patterns, soft accessories and pieces with just enough detail to keep the making interesting.

Texture gives us another way to choose with intention. It reminds us that a project is not only about how it looks in a photograph. It is also about how it feels in our hands, how it sits on the body, and how often we want to reach for it once it is finished.

As we move through this month, we’ll be looking more closely at the textures we love: the yarns that create them, the stitch patterns that shape them, and the way texture and colour work together to make a project feel complete.

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Pictured is The Ruffle Edit by Kaci Apple, knit using our Sportlicious yarn in the colour Tamarind.